Democrat Joshua Svaty declares candidacy for Kansas governor

Ellsworth County farmer Joshua Svaty revealed plans Tuesday to seek the Democratic nomination for Kansas governor in a political contest viewed by the former state legislator as a referendum on the leadership of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

Svaty made the announcement from an Ellsworth Co-op Elevator dock in the tiny central Kansas town of Black Wolf, and made clear that his central campaign message would be restoring stability in Kansas government. He acknowledged a wave of victories in 2016 by centrist candidates for the Kansas Legislature and vowed to dedicate himself to creation of a long-term transportation program, demonstrating respect for state employees and resolving damage to public education and other core functions by years of deficit-riddled budgets.

“The people of Kansas sent a loud message in the 2016 election that they are ready to change direction,” Svaty said. “The new Legislature has started to forge a path, but it also exposed a core problem. Leadership matters and our governor matters. The next governor in particular will matter greatly. We must undo the damage inflicted in recent years and begin again.”

He spoke of Brownback’s supply-side economic theory coupled with massive state income tax cuts designed to foster private investment in jobs and promote economic growth in the state. Business owner and individual income tax reductions signed into law in 2012 were described by Brownback as an “experiment” capable of delivering an adrenaline shot to the economy’s heart.